Views,use and reception of visualisations of development proposals impacting cultural heritage

Visualisations of land-use projects have become an important part of the planning process. Using a survey of heritage professionals’ attitudes towards visualisations as a starting point, this article addresses tensions between the expressed usefulness of visualisations and critical attitudes towards the lack of ‘objectivity’ of visual representation and the risk of manipulation for strategic purposes. Moving from the survey, the article discusses how visual representations of development proposals became part of a Norwegian public dispute over the expansion of a shopping centre in a historic town. Furthermore, our aim is to introduce a social semiotic approach for analysing visualisations at historic sites. Finally, we discuss some theoretical implications of negotiating visualisations, with emphasis on the recent debate about representational and non-representational theories in heritage studies.     

An interdisciplinary approach to the understanding of past settlement and farming: two cases from SE Norway

An interdisciplinary approach involving analysis of plant macrofossils, pollen and soil micro morphology in combination with large-scale stripping of top soil, was applied in order to get a comprehensive understanding of pre-historic settlement, farming economy and land-use in Østfold, SE Norway. Investigations of 25 sites lead to two distinctive results: 1) A time-space perspective on usages of plants, and 2) Identification of agrarian activities in a relict field. Studies of these topics have hitherto been limited for this region. The results add fresh and essential knowledge to pre-historic times in Østfold and make a significant contribution to the understanding to these topics in neighbouring regions.     

Kalle Sognnes: Prehistoric Imagery and Landscapes: Rock Art in Stjørdal,Trøndelag,Norway. BAR International Series 998, 2001. ISBN 1-84171-279-5

L. G. Straus, B. V. Eriksen, J. M. Erlandson and D. R. Yesner (eds.): Humans at the End of the Ice Age. The Archaeology of the Pleistocene‐Holocene Transition. Plenum Press, 1996.

Mark Pattern: Islands in Time. Island Sociogeography and Mediterranean Prehistory. Routledge, London and New York, 1996. X + 213 pp. ISBN 0–415–12659–2.     

Doing is Learning: Analysis of an Unsuccessful Attempt to Adapt TEK/IK Methodology to Norwegian Sámi Circumstances

Abstract

This article describes a case where an attempt was made to introduce TEK/IK into a conflict between Sámi reindeer owners and environmental institutions. The conflict was brought on by the establishment of a national park in Southern Sámi areas in Norway. At first, the Sámi were in favour of the park, but later on their attitudes changed as the content of planned national park developed. The reindeer owners discovered that the size of the park would be reduced, leaving out what they thought were significant areas in need of protection. They saw the encouragement of increased tourism activities as a threat to reindeer herding and felt alienated by the number of representatives they received in the park management structures. On the basis of these observations reindeer owners protested, but were ignored. As researchers well-established in the Southern Sámi area, we were brought into conversations regarding the park as the local reindeer owners searched for ways of bringing new arguments into the process. At this point we thought TEK/IK represented an opportunity to add weight to Sámi perspectives. As the title of this article indicates, as push came to shove we did not succeed in making room for local participation in our TEK/IK project, despite these existing on-going relations. The article attempts to understand what happened. Our analysis is based upon a perception of TEK/IK as not one, but at least two co-constituted knowledge practices. The premise is that research failures are as important to publish as successes. Our joint ethnographic experience has methodological implications for future TEK/IK research.     

Reviews

Hans Christiansson &; Povl Simonsen: Stone Age Finds from Spitsbergen. Acta Borealia B. Humaniora No. 11. Troms?/Oslo/Bergen, Universitetsforlaget, 24 pp., 11 Figs.

Ellen Karine Hougen: Leirkarmaterialet fra Kaupang (The Pottery from Kaupang). Viking XXXIII (1969). 22 pp. 6 Figs. English summary     

Application of Visual Archaeological Landscape Analysis: Some Results

Sverre Marstrander (eds.): Acts of the International Symposium on Rock Art. The Institute for Comparative Research in Human Culture, Oslo. Universitetsforlaget, Oslo, Bergen, Troms? 1978. 248 pp.

Helge I. H?eg, Hans‐Emil Lidén, Aslak Liest?l, Petter B. Molaug, Erik Schia, Christina Wiberg: De arkeologiske utgravninger i Gamlebyen, Oslo. Bind I. Feltet ‘Mindets tomt’. Stratigrafi, topografi, daterende funngrupper. (The Archaeological Excavations in Gamlebyen, Oslo. Vol. I. Site ‘Mindets tomt’. Stratigraphy, Topography, Dating Artefact Groups). Universitetsforlaget, Oslo‐Bergen‐Troms?. 265 pp., 9 Pls., 287 Figs. English summary.     

The Roman Age Hall and the Warrior-Aristocracy: Reflections upon the Hall at Missingen,South-East Norway

This paper discusses possible functions for an Early Roman Age hall (c. ad 1–200) at Missingen, Østfold, south-east Norway. The hall represents one of the earliest known halls in Scandinavia. Its existence corresponds with the introduction of the Roman Age warrior-aristocracy. No status goods were recorded from the hall or the site. The assemblage of artefacts, plant macrofossils, together with the site's layout, points to Missingen as a farm with traditional farm functions. However, the farm's great size and well-considered location in combination with the presence of the hall has led to the conclusion that Missingen represents a chieftain's farm. It is argued that the farm could have served as a resort or camp for a group of warriors, led by a chieftain or a military leader belonging to a warrior-aristocracy. The existence of a Roman Age aristocracy in Østfold, hitherto represented by graves with weapons and rich imported goods, is for the first time evidenced by a hall and a chieftain's farm.     

Regional Foresight,Modes of Governance and Democracy

The aim of this article is to discuss democratic potentials and pitfalls inherent in the use of Foresight methodologies, especially on the regional level. Foresight is used on the regional level as a tool for developing common visions about the future, strengthening the cohesion between regional actors and enabling coordinated action towards common goals. Based on broad participation, foresight represents a departure from expert-based scenario building and planning. The emphasis on building common goals and achieving coordinated action makes it feasible to conceptualize foresight processes as instances of governance. Based on a discussion on generalized modes of governance, a contention is made to the effect that foresight processes most closely resemble network governance as a general mode. With this point of departure, the paper uses arguments from the debate on democratic network governance to substantiate the discussion on the democratic aspects of foresight.     

Challenges to Democracy in Market-Oriented Urban Planning in Norway

Neo-liberal ideas have resulted in a planning practice characterized by an informal phase in which early agreements are reached in closed negotiations between municipal planners and private developers. This challenges norms of legitimacy and accountability found in traditional democratic theories, as well as deliberative planning and network governance theories. Input-based legitimacy may be weakened by the lack of participation as well as by asymmetry in resources available for participation (voice). The representative democracy's (vote) responsiveness to the electorate may be weakened due to the lack of knowledge of the views of those affected, early lock-in to agreements and weak meta-governance due to the lack of adherence to overall plans. Throughput legitimacy is reduced by the lack of transparency, and thus accountability, in the informal phase. Output legitimacy might justify the privileged position of developers if tangible results are achieved. However, lack of participation weakens the quality and long-term lastingness of decisions, and lack of deliberation weakens the acceptability of justifications for those burdened by the decisions. We argue that two different types of reforms are necessary to increase the input legitimacy of planning practices: representative democracy reforms that strengthen the role of politicians and reforms that strengthen the direct participation of stakeholders in planning.